T.H.E. Show 2023

It took three attempts and a show near closing time for me to squeeze into the Volt room. Not only were there only three seats, arranged in a line in the center of the room parallel to the side walls, but the space was also illumined by a frequently changing light show that proved as enticing to show goers as those transformative "Eat Me" morsels in Alice in Wonderland.

Finally able to follow the rainbow to the pot of gold, I happened upon Grant Dunn, the mastermind behind Volt Lighting/Integration/Audio of Burbank. Specializing in lighting integration, production rentals, media system design, custom control & automation, and AC power upgrades, Volt's clients include the Los Angeles Philharmonic, LA Opera, Universal Music Group, Orpheum Theatre, Ford, The Belasco, Lizzo, Adelle, Lady Gaga . . . You get the picture.

Once you meet Dunn, you'll discover the passion and enthusiasm that help make him so successful. He certainly has a knack for choosing good equipment pairings that fall into the sweet spot for his younger clientele whose average age is 33. In this case, with assistance from his associate and team member, Paisha Bleich, he mated Scansonic MB6 B loudspeakers ($14,999/pair) with the Margules i-240 integrated amplifier ($7000), Jay's Audio CDT2-Mk2 CD transport ($2200, discontinued) feeding an Auralic Vega DAC ($3499, discontinued), RSX Benchmark cabling, RSX Power 8 multi-outlet box ($479), and Salamander Designs Archetype 5.0 rack ($449). I did not hear the other equipment in the room, including the Tonian Labs Oriaco G6 speakers praised in an earlier show report.

The soundstage was nothing short of fabulous on Bill Frisell's "One of These Days." Depth was marvelous, the warmth beyond enticing, and the pristine clarity mouth-watering l. The room had a few bass challenges, but the sound was so beautiful that it didn't matter. Once Dunn played "A Change is 'Gonna Come" by the Neville Brothers, I realized how ideal the system was for vocals.